Organizers of the annual trash cleanup effort said they had never picked up so much dangerous trash in the 14 years it has been held. They said many of the syringes were found near schools, and one had a full vial.

Event organizer Donna Woodward said the syringes were found by several volunteers. She said that during the previous cleanups, a total of three needles had been found.

Conway police Sgt. Christopher Mattei said more people are finding needles along roads and near schools.

"Logic would tell us they're probably used for illicit drug use," he said. "People who usually use needles such as this for prescription drugs or medication that they get from a doctor would not normally dispose of them in this manner."

Police said needles are easy to get and are being used to ingest prescription medication, such as crushed pills. Danbury police had a similar problem two weeks ago when more than two dozen hypodermic needles were found in that town.

Police said anyone who comes across a needle shouldn't touch it and should call police instead.

ISSUE, NOT ONLY IN CONWAY, BUT ANOTHER TOWNS AROUND THE STATE. WE SPOKE TO THE CLEANUP ORGANIZERS. NEVER BEFORE IN THE 14 YEARS OF THIS COMMUNITYWIDE ANNUAL CLEANUP PROGRAM HAS SO MUCH DANGEROUS TRASH BEEN FOUND. ONE STILL HAD A FULL FILE. AND LOOK WHO WAS CLEANING UP SOME OF THE GARBAGE -- CHILDREN. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS SOMETHING TO PAY ATTENTION TO. UNLEASED -- AT LEAST A DOZEN NEEDLES PICKED UP, WHICH IS A LOT CONSIDERING IN THE PREVIOUS 14 CLEANUPS ONLY THREE NEEDLES WERE FOUND. I AM SURPRISED. POLICE SERGEANT CHRISTOPHER MCKAY SAYS MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE FINDING NEEDLES. PEOPLE WILL USUALLY USE NEEDLES SUCH AS THIS FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS OR MEDICATION THEY GET FROM A DOCTOR. THEY WOULD NOT NORMALLY DISPOSE OF THEM IN THIS MANNER. POLICE SAY NEEDLES ARE EASY TO GET AND ARE NOW BEING USED TO INGEST PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION LIKE CRUSHED PILLS. DANBURY POLICE HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM LAST MONTH WHEN MORE THAN TWO DOZEN HYPODERMIC NEEDLES WERE FOUND IN THAT TOWN. I THINK THIS TIME THE PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT THEY NEED TO START EDUCATING KIDS ABOUT WHAT TO DO IF THEY FIND SOMETHING LIKE THIS. PLEASE ENCOURAGE ANYONE IF

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